Material handling apparatus



June 15, 1948. T. K. ANDERSEN 2,443,175

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed April 4, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR. Womas KAnde/zmn BY f-ITTOR/VEY June 15, 1948. D R 2,443,175

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed April 4, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i H V31i ll 310 28 I N VEN TOR.

750mm; If Ana/amen ATTORNEY I on .vvhichmy invention is Patented June15, 1948 srarss i2;443,1'7=5- fMATERI'AIi HANDLING AEPARATUS 'ThoinasillQAndersen, Staten'Island; ;N. Y. Application April4, 1946,"Scrial No.659515 (Cl. Zia- 131") '3 Claims. 11

'My presentinvention relates tomaterial handling equipment, such as'powerpshovels -or other loaders, and while .not restricted thereto isparticularly designed for use withthe powershovel disclosedin theAndersen Patent No. 2,182,781, dated December "12, 1939.

Themain object-of -my invention is to provide an improved power drivenassembly including speed reduction, "clutch, and-brake for "the hoistdrum-ofa power-shovel-or other-'loadenby means ofiwhich"the-bucket orother receptacle may be positively-and -reliably driven and controlledat all'timesin its movements from loading -to dumping" position, andvice *versa;

Other-objects and advantages, together with the novel :features of-theconstruction and arrangement of parts constituting the device willappear aspthe description of-the invention -progresses;

Int-he accompanying drawings illustrating-my inventiongandsomuch of thesupportingand carryingvehicle therefor as is necessary.

Figure I is 2; side elevation-of a power shovel equipped" withmyinvention,

Figure? ,is' a sectional side elevation of the clutchcasingand clutchparts'contained therein,

Figure B'is eqplan' view ofthe platform mounted on 'the-roof'o'f hetractor-"or other vehicle and illustrating the controllingmechanism-yand I "Figured-is a side-elevation ohms-mechanism shown inFig; '3;

'Referring tothedrawings *1 have designated generallyat-l-fl a'tractoror other suitable 'vehicle .mounted, *said' 'vehicle being provided withthe 'usual power plant beneath a hood 1-]. Above the framework of thetractor and supported on suitable uprights is a platform or roof'=l'2carrying the control mechanism of the present invention.

At the frontzof the hood 11, adjacent the lower portion thereof, is apower-take-ofi shaft 13 Whichds conventionally coupled with the powerplant: 'Shaftddhasa first'reduction unit-comprising abevel-pinionMsecured to its outer end, meshing-with and driving -a bevel gear l-fr'attached to-a-verticalstub shaft It mounted for rotation in a gear box.H in which pinion l4 and gear l5 are housed. The upper end of stub shaftI6 (see Fig. 2) is connected in any conventional manner, to the drivingmember IQ of a clutch, the driven member of which is indicated at is.When the clutch is thrown out or disengaged, members 18 and 19 are heldout of driving engagement by a coil spring l9a. Clutch shaft 2| isconnected at its lower end to the driven member be woundup on,. orpayed.

l9,- and extends upwardly and has mounted on its-upper'end-a universaljoint '23. Clutch members l8 and i9 and the lower end of clutch shaft 2|are'enclosedin'a clutch casing-20. Secure-d to the'lowerpart' of theuniversal joint 23 is a rotatable brake drum'22, which may be'anystandard automobile internal brake "drum, and having acooperatingliningiZita-riveted in the usual manner to the brakeshoes2-2b,-which are conventionally attache-d to'the backing plate 220,which -is in turn bolted-to the 'clutch casing 20.-

The upper part of'the universal joint 23, is secured (see 'Fig; l) tothe lower end of "an upwardly eXteIIdingshaftQ t, theupperend of suchshaft'being connected, by universal joint 25', to the lower end of avertical stub shaftZfi; Stub shaft26 is'rotatably mountedina suitablehearing' in'theplatf'orm or roof l2 and hasasecond reduction unitcomprising'abevel'pinion 21 "meshing withand driving a bevelgear 2Bloeated within a gear box29'on' the platform or -roof"l2. "Bevel gear"2815 fast on a horizontal sprocketshaft 38 mounted for rotation in"suitable bearings in -the platform or roof l2.

.Fast on shaft :39 and spaced from bevel gear 28"ista sprocket :31whichis aligned'witli'a sprocket 33 secured directly ,to 'a "hoisting;drum 34 fast on adrumshafta'fi rotatable insuitable journals on theplatform or 'roof 12;

Running over. sprockets 3 I and 3c is an endless sprocket chain'32constituting "a third reduction unit'by means of whichpower-istransmitted from shaft/"30 to drum shafttfi;

'Secured'to thewhoisting drumiSt is one end of ajhoistinglchain or'cable36' which isadapted to on ifromyth'e-drum 34. Connection 36 passesupwardly from drum 34 between ,two idler sheavess'l and' ifi'mountedrespectively on shaftstt and MS in1the platform or roof 1.12, .and isattached at its free end to the bucketscarrying (arms, 'boom, or similarcarrying structureforlamaterial holding device, bucket or receptacle(not shown). As connection 36' is wound .on the drum 3 5, it is inengagement with itheiidler sheave..,38 .untilsuch time as the bucketpasses a ,point vertically above the space between the idler. sheaves:31 .and. ,35.

When this point is reached,- vhoisting connection 3.5 vleaves idlersheave 38 and moves into engagement with idler sheave 31 and remains inengagement with such sheave until the load is dumped and the bucketbrought upwardly again to the vertical position, whereupon saidconnection 36 returns to its engagement with the idler sheave 38.

Suitable means (not shown) for controlling the speed of the tractor theclutch and brake are arranged within convenient reach of the tractoroperator.

The operation is as follows:

With the tractor motor running, driving member I 8 of the clutch is inrotation through power take off shaft l3, reduction gears 14 and I andstub shaft I6. When the clutch is engaged, clutch shaft 2| will berotated and through universal joint 23 will rotate brake drum 22, aswell as hoisting drum 34 through the intermediary of the connection 24,25, 26, reduction gears 21 and 28, and sprocket shaft 30, and sprockets3| and 33 and chain 32, connection 36.

The movement of the bucket from loading to dumping position, or viceversa, may the arrested at any point by throwing out the clutch andapplying the brake.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, it will be evident that I have provided a simpleand reliable power drive for actuating and controlling a hoisting unit.V

It will be noted that the reduction gears l4 and I5 andZl and 28 andsprockets 3| and 33 respectively provide three distinct and independentreductions by means of which the high speed of the tractor motor(usually around 1400 R. P. M.) may be reduced to approximately 40 R. P,M. at the hoist drum. It is essential that the hoist drum rotate slowly,as compared with motor, in order that the the motor for lifting theutilized without stalling control of the bucket be available horsepowerof loaded bucket may be the motor and better also secured.

If desired, the assembly may be provided with an automatic knock-out ofknown construction whereby, when the bucket passes dead centergoingtoward either its loading or. its dumping p0- sition, the clutch will beautomatically disengaged, afterwhich the operator may manually releasethe brake to allow the bucket to descend under control.

Likewise, if desired,.the assembly may be provided with mechanism suchas that shown in the application of Carle Henry, Serial No. 659,464,filed April 4, 1946, for releasing the brake without engaging theclutch, or for releasing the brake when engaging the clutch.

It will be further noted that the vertical shaft 24 is rotating fasterthan the hoist drum shaft '35. By mounting the brake unit on verticalshaft 24 instead of on hoist drum shaft 35, as in my companionapplication Serial No. 659,514, filed April 4, 1946, I am enabled to usea smaller brake than is the case where the brake and hoist drums aremounted On the same shaft.

The term bucket as used herein isused in its broadest sense to mean anydigging and/or loading implement, as a dirt bucket, snow bucket, backhoe, lifting fork, or the like, and the term bucket arms as used hereinis likewise used in its broadest sense to mean any structure, Whether a.pair of arms, or a yoke, or a broom disposed in the fore and aft line ofthe vehicle, by means of which the bucket is pivotally supported on thetractor or other vehicle for swinging movements in an arcuate pathover'the vehicle.

' assembly'for driving and and thus raise or lower the hoisting While Ihave disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, I recognize thatthe same may be variously modified to suit special installations, andaccordingly assert all such modifications, to be within the purview ofmy invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle having a roof and a motor, a bucketpivoted to said vehicle to swing vertically relative thereto, a powerdrive controllings'aid bucket com-prising a power-take-off shaft to becoupled to the vehicle'motor, a driving shaft arranged vertically at thefront end of the vehicle, a speed reduction unit between and connectingsaid takeoff shaft to said vertical shaft, a cross shaft on the vehicleroof, a speed reduction unit between and connecting said vertical shaftto said cross shaft, a clutch comprising a clutch shaft connected tosaid vertical shaft, a driven part on said clutch shaft, and a driving.partto be rotated from-the take-off shaft, a brake drumffa st on saidclutch shaft to rotate therewith, a drum shaft-on the vehicle roofandspac ed from said cross shaft, 7 driving connections between saiddrum and cross shafts, a hoist drum on, said drum shaft, anda connectionfrom-,saiddrmn to said bucket. V

2. In combination with a vehicle having a roof and a motor, a bucketpivoted to said vehicle to swing vertically relative thereto, apowerd-rive assembly for driving and controlling. said bucket comprisinga .powertake-offshaft to be coupled to the vehicle motor, afirstvertical stubsha'ft at the front end of the vehicle and driven from saidtake-off shaft, a clutch shaft, a driven part on said clutch shaft and adriving part on said first stub shaft, a brake drum fast on said clutchshaft to'rotate there} with, a I v joint connection at its lower endwith said clutch shaft, a second Vertical stub shaft having, a uni,-versal joint connection with the upper endv of said vertical drivingshaft, a cross shaft on; the

REFERENCES orran v The following references are of ;record;in the fileof this patent: 1 r 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Namev Date 1,506,762Manierre Sept. 2, 1924 1,805,028 Anthony et al May 12,1931 1,890,975Erdah1 Dec. 13,;1932

comprising a clutch vertical driving shaft having a universal Andersenet a1.'; Oct. 5, 194 3'

